Game.



No. 652,880. Patented July 3 I900.

J. W. BATDURF.

GAME.

(Application filed. Mar. 10, 1900.)

' 13 77106 Jima s.

f PATENT Fries.

JOHN WESLEY BATDORF, OF HOLLISTER, CALIFORNIA.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,880, dated July 3, 1900.

Application filed'March 10, 1900. Serial No. 8,190. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it map concern.-

Be it known that L'JOHN WESLEY BAT- DORF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hollister, in the county of San Benito and State of California, have invented a new and useful Game,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to games, and has for its object to provide an improved game apparatus of the pool or billiard type and employs balls which are to, be struck bycues to-drive the balls into a pocket or opening formed in the table or board upon which the balls are supported. It is furthermore designed to provide an improved obstruction for use in conjunction with the pocket or opening, so as to render difficult the pocketing of the balls, thus requiring skill to properly play the game and also adding interest thereto,and,finally,to provide means for indicating different positions for spotting the balls with respect to the passages afforded by the obstruction, so that the game may be played under various circumstances and according to different rules.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a game table and apparatus constructed and arranged according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view thereof. view of the obstruction for cooperation with the pocket in the table.

Corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings are designated by like characters of reference.

Referring to the accompanying drawings 1 designates the support upon which the balls 2 are supported and has a smooth flat upper surface over which the balls are designed to roll. This support is preferably in the form of a table, having the usual standards or legs sive use.

such medieval structures. tower is provided with pairs of diametrically- Fig. 3 is a bottom plan 3, and to prevent the balls from accidentally rolling off of the table the latter is provided with an upstanding marginalflange 4, which also forms a cushion, from which the balls are designed to rebound in making-a banked shot, as with an ordinary pool or billiard table. Although a circular table has been shown in the drawings, it will of course be understood that a rectangular or other shape may be employed without affecting the purpose of the invention.

Provided centrally of the table is an opening 5, which is designed to form a pocket through which the balls may drop into a chute or drawer 6, mounted upon the under side of the table and normally closing the lower end of the pocket, whereby the pocketed balls are conveniently prevented from falling to the floor and are effectively collected for succes- Any suitable stop 7 may be em ployed to limit the inward movement of the drawer and maintain the latter in proper position to receive the balls as they fall through the central opening or pocket.

Surmounting the pocket is an obstruction 8, preferably in the ornamental form of a towercastle, either substantially cylindrical in shape or angular, as desired, .and painted or otherwise decorated to imitate stonework, windows, embattleinents, and other parts of The base of the opposite arched doorways or passages 9, which communicate in a straight line, so as to form ;a continuous walled passage entirely through the tower, there being preferably two' such passages, which are disposed substantially at right angles and intersect centrally within the tower. As best shown in Fig. 2, the intersecting passages form pillars or columns 10, which'are located exteriorly of the pocket,

so as to form supports to rest upon the table.

The upper Walls 11 of the respective passages the castle and outwardly at the opposite side thereof. It will now be apparent that a further purpose of this pendent stop-shoulder is to cause the balls to be deflected into the pocket or opening 5 and in some instances to rebound outwardly through the passage. To increase the chances for the balls to rebound, and thus render more diflicult the pocketing thereof, the base of the castle may be formed of rubber or other suitably-elastic material to have an increased rebounding effect upon the balls.

In playing the game each player has an ordinary one 13, with which to strike the balls, as in the game of pool or billiards, the object being to direct the balls through the passages and through the pocket or opening into the drawer or other receptacle beneath the table, according to any preferred rules agreed upon by the players. In making an original shot it is preferable to spot the ball at a predetermined position with respect to the passages in the castle or obstruction, and a plurality of such spotting positions may be employed, which are indicated by distinguishably-designated marks 14 and 15. As, for instance, the marks 14 may be alined with the respective passages, while the other marks 15 may be located midway between adjacent marks 14:, so as to be opposite the pillars or columns, and thereby to render the game more difficult.

What I claim isl. A game apparatus of the class described, comprising a table or equivalent support, having an opening or pocket formed therein, an obstruction superposed above the opening, andhaving apassage leading thereto, and a stop-shoulder pendent from the upper wall of the passage and disposed above the opening.

2. A game apparatus of the class described, comprising a table or equivalent support, having an opening or pocket formed therein, an obstruction superposed above the opening, and provided with a passage leading thereto, the upper wall of the passage being inclined inwardly and downwardly across the opening, and forming a pendent stop-shoul der located above the latter and contracting the passage.

3. A game apparatus of the class described, comprising a table or equivalent support, having a pocket or opening formed therein, an obstruction superposed above the opening and provided with a plurality of passages, which intersect across the opening, and a pendent stop-shoulder at the point of intersection of the passages.

4. A game apparatus of the class described,

comprising a table or equivalent support having an opening or pocket formed therein, and an obstruction superposed above the opening and having a plurality of angularlyrelated passages intersecting across the opening, the upper walls of the passages being beveled or inclined downwardly and inwardly, and the point of intersection of the inclined walls forming a pendent stop-shoulder.

5. A game apparatus of the class described, comprising a table or equivalent support, having a central opening or pocket formed therein, an upstanding marginal rim or cushion, a plurality of balls or equivalent movable playing devices, and an obstruction superposed above the opening, and having a plurality of angularly-related passages intersecting across the opening, and a stop-shoulder pendent from the point of intersection of the upper walls of the passages, the lower end of the stop-shoulder being disposed above the upper surface of the support less than the height of the playing devices.

6. In a game apparatus, the combination with a table or equivalentsupport, having an opening or pocket formed therein, of balls or equivalent movable playing devices, and an obstruction superposed over the pocket or opening at a distance above the table less than the height of the playing devices.

7. In a game apparatus, the combination with a table or equivalent support, having an opening or pocket formed therein, of balls or equivalent movable playing devices, and an obstruction superposed over the opening or pocket, and having a plurality of downwardly and inwardly inclined faces, which intersect centrally above the opening and at a distance above the table less than the height of the playing devices.

8. A game apparatus of the class described, comprising a table or equivalent support, having an opening or pocket formed therein, and an obstruction superposed above the opening and having a transverse passage intersecting the opening or poeketand opening at diametrically-opposite sides of the obstruction, and a lateral stop-shoulder located within the passage and centrally of the opening or pocket in the support.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WESLEY BATDORF.

Witnesses:

S. G. BUTTON, W. D. VAN BUSKIRK. 

